Prophecy in the Church Part 2: Sharing and Receiving Prophecies

Scripture

1 Corinthians 14:29–38 ESV

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

Intro

The difference between teaching and prophecy.

Teaching is the explanation of Scripture/Apostolic teachings.

Prophecy is the communication of revelation from the Holy Spirit to others.

“Telling something that God has spontaneously brought to ming.” -Wayne Grudem

Prophecy and teaching are both to be tested by the same standard: scripture and the witness of the church.

Tension

Spiderman and Uncle Ben: power is a good thing, but if it is not properly submitted it can be a very damaging thing. It isn’t any good either if we sit on it.

Two extremes often seen in the church today, are those who are prophetic and refuse to submit to biblical leadership and those who ignore the prophetic altogether.

Both groups are out of sync with Christ. What we seek here, is to be in sync with Christ and we can only do that by submitting to Him and committing ourselves to pursue His purpose of building up the church, even when it causes us discomfort or difficulty.

Truth

I. The best way to practice the prophetic gift, is to give prophecies.

1 Corinthians 14:29–33 ESV

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

Scripture encourages prophets to speak in church gatherings.

This is an important provision which the Lord has made, ensuring that the prophetic gift has a place in His church until He returns.

Prophets and church leaders are to give feedback on prophetic words which are spoken.

Prophetic words can be outright wrong, or even just a little off. The church provides a covering to be sure that words given are properly filtered, corrected when needed, and thrown out when appropriate.

Part of practicing and honing the prophetic gift is learning to receive correction well.

Correction helps us learn to hear God better.

Prophetic ministry has potential to instruct and encourage.

When every prophetically gifted person is actively listening for the Spirit to prompt us, and remains open to sharing what the Spirit reveals, then potential for more instruction and encouragement ministry in the church grows.

Three types of prophetic revelation

a. Words of knowledge

1 Corinthians 12:8 ESV

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

According to Derek Prince, "Wisdom is directive, knowledge is informative."

A word of knowledge comes to inform us about ourselves, others, perhaps a situation in our lives, and/or etc.

A word of knowledge can help strengthen us in our gifts, our walk with the Lord, can lead to healing ministry, and many other good things.

A good example would be the time my pastor told me that the Lord wanted me to dedicate my life to preaching His word.

b. Word of wisdom

1 Corinthians 12:8 ESV

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

A word of wisdom can help us make proper use of what we know.

Wisdom gives us proper direction. A good example would be the word I received from my grandfather about where I should go to college.

c. Discerning of spirits

This type of revelation is a recognition of whether a word comes from God or from an unclean spirit.

It also involves supernaturally knowing whether a spirit is good or evil, clean or unclean.

Often those who experience discerning of spirits can recognize demonic activity where others may not see it.

d. These three revelatory gifts often come in conjunction with prophecy but do not become prophecy unless they are communicated to others.

II. Prophecies are always to be given with humility and in submission to Christ and His Church

1 Corinthians 14:33–40 ESV

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order.

Prophetic ministry is not about personal empowerment, but rather submission.

Let’s take a moment to deal with the elephant in the room here; what Paul says about women in church gatherings.

There is some disagreement from scholars here, as to whether Paul intended this to be a general ban of women speaking in church or not.

I think the most likely explanation here, is that women should not speak out of turn, or from under their covering.

In 1 Cor 11:5

1 Corinthians 11:5 ESV

but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.

Paul indicates that a woman may indeed pray or prophesy in the church gathering but is to do so under her covering.

The covering represents her relationship with her husband.

God designed husbands to watch over and protect their wives. They represent the loving kindness and pastoral guidance of Christ over them.

This is designed to be protective over women, not prohibitive.

Authority in the church looks like this: Elders, Deacons, ministry leaders, husbands, wives, children.

I believe what Paul is saying here is that women who are not in submission to Christ through their husbands and the church leadership should not speak.

They were not to make it about them, and if they had questions were encouraged to ask them at home to discuss with her husband rather than bring the whole church into a personal matter, disrupting worship.

Prophetic ministry is built on and remains within the bounds of Apostolic teaching.

Submission is not for women only though. All prophets are to be in full submission to Scripture, which is the compiled Apostolic teachings.

Paul is clear that those who don’t value scripture, or don’t submit to it, should not be allowed to speak.

Prophetic ministry begins in the local church. No modern prophet has a ministry that is not tied to a local church, with submission to the leadership of said church.

Prophetic ministry is orderly.

Order is important to the Holy Spirit in worship. Prophetic people would do well to remember that getting out their prophetic word is not the purpose of the church gathering.

I have seen some prophetic people who act as if their words are the reason why people come. That is some serious hubris. Such an attitude hurts the church rather than helps it.

The purpose of the church gathering is to glorify Christ and to equip the church.

The prophetic must be submitted to the eldership. Elders are charged by Christ with the shepherding of the church. As such, it is their job to hear the Spirit and conduct the worship gatherings.

Elders represent apostolic authority in the local church and as such the eldership is a covering over the prophetic which the prophetic would do well to stay under.

III. When we receive prophetic words we are not to dismiss them, but we are to test them

1 Thessalonians 5:19–21 ESV

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.

Three good questions from Derek Prince for testing a prophetic word.

Does it align with scripture?

Does it magnify Christ?

Does it edify the church?

Some filters

Scripture

Scripture is our first line of defense against bad prophetic ministry. Since the Spirit will never contradict Himself, and we know He inspired every word of Scripture, then we can know for certain that any word that goes against Scripture is not from God.

Local church elders

Elders are given by God as a covering over you. When you aren't sure about a prophetic word, or don't know what to do with it, you can bring it before the elders who are charged with your spiritual care and they can help you test it, sift it, and apply it.

Other prophets

Scripture tells us that the prophets are subject to the prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32). It is good to have a counsel of prophetic people for a church to relate to. They can help make sure that other prophets are not only hearing what God is saying, but that it is being communicated appropriately.

Wise counselors

There are many people whom Christ has put in our fellowship who are wise. These, particularly with a spiritual gift of wisdom, can help make sure a prophetic word matches up with God's will for us.

Inner witness of the Holy Spirit

Not always, but very often when you hear a word the Spirit is already at work in you and He testifies within you that the word is proper and true. If you ever receive a word and feel uneasy about it, that could be the Holy Spirit giving you pause and it would be wise then to seek counsel.

If you aren’t sure, ask the Lord (James 1).

Application

What I would like for us to do now is wait on the Lord for a few minutes. We have talked about prophecy, and it may be that the Spirit would give us a few this morning to give us some experience.

I believe there are some here who may have a gift of prophecy but have never spoken a prophetic word in public. This is a good opportunity to branch out and use what God has given you to help build up His church this morning.

Remember the purpose of NT prophecy; to edify, to exhort, to console, and to convict.